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The Greenway Should be Supported in Every Way Possible

Once upon-a-time, the North End had its own ugly Green Monster (Central Artery) that separated the neighborhood from the rest of the city.

Then, the Big Dig came along and removed the metal structure and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway was born creating much-needed open spaces for several communities and thousands of visitors.

Under the watchful eye of the Greenway Conservancy over the past eight years the parks have become the community’s Central Park along with the adjacent Christopher Columbus Park.

At one-time the only open space available to the neighborhood was the North End Park which was basically used for sports activities.

This June (2017) the Conservancy is expected to lose over $2 million in state funding and is being asked to be more self-sufficient by fundraising on its own.

The Conservancy does receive some private donations and about $130,000 is collected from nearby businesses that benefit from the many visitors on The Greenway.

In fairness, the state has warned the Conservancy it would not pay forever and urged the Conservancy to begin finding funds on their own.

Governor Baker repeated the warning as early as last June (2016).

The state has contributed more than $15 million to The Greenway and MassDOT has given them office space worth $11 million on Kneeland Street.

After years of construction to remove the Central Artery, the community deserves the open space and everyone involved should work together to find ways to preserve and help The Greenway to continue to grow.